Apple Update Day

There have been loads of updates today:

• macOS Sierra 10.12.4
• iOS 10.3
• tvOS 10.2
• watchOS 3.2

Most of these were up to an 8th beta test version.

I don't have an Apple Watch, so that isn't a problem, thankfully but there is a rather large load on the internet connection trying to update everything.

I've updated Apple TV and my iPhone but I'm not updating my MacBook Pro because I can't get a number on the size of the update, and I'd rather not pay overage charges.

Besides this, iWork has been updated on the computer and the phone.

The most significant change is the new file system: APFS.  It's live on iOS devices.  I wonder if it's working on the Apple TV or Apple Watch.  It should be interesting to see how the phone changes with a modern file system, rather than some relic of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s with the electrodes sticking out of the neck to remind people of the creature they've been using.

I'm not noticing a huge difference at this point, and the phone seems to be working as well as it was--no glitches.

Better performance is always appreciated, so hopefully, that happens.  When the file system can be implemented on my MacBook Pro, I'll probably be much happier.  I'll be ready to update macOS Sierra in a few days.

Apple Watch: Who will Buy? Update: Series 2 announced

Obviously, the watch is out of the bag, after their Spring Ahead event.

I've been asking for a while about this product, especially as Sony and Samsung have made failure after failure.  Pebble is really the only company that has made an interesting product that works in a way that is desirable and useful.

Apple changed their idea to make it a medical device, as they were having a difficult time with reliable information.  Still, they have some applications in mind, and will likely end up solving the problems eventually.

It's easy to guess who will be the first buyers--the fashion conscious, even though the smaller face is still a bit large for a woman.  There should likely be a large group of iPhone users who will buy the phone no matter what.  The fashion conscious will buy one and a few bands, naturally.

On the other hand, I belong to a group who finds value important and doesn't currently wear a watch.  I haven't worn a watch since maybe 2005 or 2006.  That is a long time without one.  Also, my most expensive watch was around US$150.  The minimal Apple Watch will be over twice that much.

I suppose this would mean much more to me if I kept my phone in a bag.  With my photographic equipment and a computer in my bags, I don't keep my phone in there.  It's usually in a front pocket.

I was at the nearest Apple Store today and they were pretty happy to get the new "experience" display for the watch.  They tried to increase my enthusiasm but I'm just not into it.  By the way, you need an appointment for the experience of trying the watch.

Supposedly, there are many restrictions to keep things more orderly at the start.  Once everything is comfortable and they have more supplies, it will surely become more casual.

Who will stand in line at the first?

Update 2015.04.10: They're already sold out of the first batch today, and all of the categories are apparently available in 4-6 weeks.  Seriously?  Maybe, there were fewer available than expected.  Certainly, the big deal about sapphire watch crystals and GT Advanced lengthened the wait.  Drama over watches?  Who knew?

Update 2015.04.21: Google seems to be finishing an update that will be useful, if only for retaining current Android Wear customers.  I suspect that as soon as Samsung get their hands on Apple's Watch, they'll be seeing what they can use, but Apple and Google will carefully copy each other, making smart watches actually useful.  At some point, the majority may want watches, though I'm skeptical that will ever happen.

Update 2015.09.20: With WatchOS 2, they seem to be adding more, early functionality.  Remembering how the iPhone's operating system evolved, I'm betting that Apple's watch will become significantly more powerful.

It's sold well enough, apparently, but it's not exactly phenomenal--typical early Apple product.  I still don't see a need for me to have one.

Update 2016.09.08: Apple announced a new set of iPhones yesterday, along with a new watch.  The new watch has some differences, such as improved water-resistance and a brighter display.   Battery life is supposedly quite a bit better but that's going to take a while to prove.

The operating system is continually being re-thought.  This is how Apple gets things working properly and why I was so frustrated with Android and Google.  Apple will see what works and change what doesn't work until it is useful.

If you're wondering, I'm still not buying one, even though the original watch price has been discounted permanently.

Update 2019.03.09: It's been almost four years since I started this blog entry, and looking back, there have been a lot of changes.  Pebble seems to be gone.  Fitbit is still out there.  Every Chinese electronics company seems to have a watch, and Google has gone through many iterations, trying to find something that is appealing.

Even I have changed--I find the Apple watch somewhat appealing, due to my heart problems.  I'm not spending that much money on any such device, but it has some appeal.  Being able to make calls would be a plus, a la Dick Tracy.  I still remember using a phone in 2004 that had internet access and the tiny display was miserable.  Voice commands would be more useful, but Siri is still less versatile than it should be.

Apple didn't bring Elvis back, either

Another Apple announcement--nothing to report, really.  Yes, I'm kidding.

I've already seen the fanatics on both sides hammering out comments.  Geez!

I suspected that unless the company brought back Elvis, there was nothing really important, and the company would go out of business in short order.  It's an obvious conclusion, isn't it?

I'm glad to see a number of phone choices with realistic storage sizes.  (It's odd that my 32 GB iPhone 4S was enough but not my 32 GB iPhone 5c.)  Double the storage is good, especially since the world has changed.

The fingerprint scanner will be available for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.  That's a good thing because they're introducing a rather comprehensive payment system and payments can be done with a touch of your thumb.

Do the new phone sizes (4.7 and 5.5 inch) change things?  They will make a difference for those people who think bigger is better without being able to discern much of anything else.  Of course, for people with huge hands, the 5.5 inch model will be helpful.  The bigger model's 1920x1080 resolution ticks another box as it meets full HD resolution.

The operating efficiency enhancements are more important and they've switched to more powerful and more capable processors, switched to larger batteries, and you may get better battery life in your real world experience.  Of course, a lot of your battery life depends on your carrier, and how much you use those new, bigger displays.

I'm a bit enamoured of the LG G3's display but of course, not with the battery life.  Samsung has also been showing its best components with little regard to real life usage but they do have great displays.

My only question is whether a bigger phone will suit me?  I remember looking at the HTC One (M7) and thinking that it was too large, along with its Android competition.  I was so close to buying one of those or the LG G2 and I wanted something smaller.

I'll be looking forward to iOS 8 at some point, but I doubt I'll be an early victim, errr, adopter.  Too often Apple doesn't finish their thoughts and leaves users hanging.

Is anyone interested in the Apple Watch?  I wish that I was.  It is interesting, but starting at US$349, I won't be buying one.  Do I wear a watch now?  No, so it would be something new for me to take off and forget somewhere.  I have a load of watches I have not worn since 2004, so it would take a very good reason for me to wear one.

The user interface looks incredible and I think they've got good ideas in there, unlike the other brands--something Samsung will want to borrow.  (Even if you don't like Apple, it's obvious that Samsung has used products from Apple, Nokia, Motorola, BlackBerry and others as design templates for many products, coming close to verbatim copies in many cases.)

I've seen people who are crazy about watches, and I know for a fact that shopping channels like ShopNBC/ShopHQ have special programming just about watches.  There are customers out there.

I've been wondering how Apple will collapse not just health-oriented watches and monitors business but the industry of runners' watches.  I could see the company buying Polar and other smaller companies in the business.

The only real surprise I got was the lack of iPad replacements.  Update: Late October launch event?

Oh, and what's not a product but a change in the way we'll all do business is Apple Pay.  Strange to think about it but it may finally put to rest checks, cards, and even cash within 20 years.  Apple has a way of putting together procedures to make life easier.  I'm not saying that it will be perfect and it will take a few generations of devices before it's into everyone's wallet, but it has a good chance of making payments easier.

There need to be a lot of things in place before I would trust it, but I say that about everything.  I'm not trusting of current physical cards and procedures.  I want to sign for purchases of $10 or more--not $50 or more.

Of course, the government will have to do some research because Apple is claiming some counter fee that card issuers should pay it for sales going through their system.  It should be interesting.

Update 2014.09.19: The iPhone lines are being satisfied all over the world.  I can't imagine how or why people would switch so often.   Would I pay the ETF (early termination fee) to get a newer phone?  It had better wash dishes and cook for me, if I'm going to pay extra.  They cost enough with or without subsidies.  I know both sides of the story, and yes, if we didn't have contracts but could get similar service without it, I would pay the full price for a phone.  Standing in line for a new phone that hasn't been tested by millions of people yet?  No, thanks.

iOS arrived the day before my birthday this week.  I'm interested but considering the typical flaws, I would rather wait until version 8.1 but considering how long it took them to get to 7.1, I might turn blue in the face holding my breath.  We'll see how many security issues are outstanding in 7.x.

Oh, and if you're on the iPhone 4S, you might want to wait--there may be issues, as there were with iOS 7 and iPhone 4.

Update 2015.01.01: I had updated to iOS 8.x and was constantly up against my storage limits.

About three weeks ago, I got an iPhone 6, even though the products were in somewhat limited supply still.  I went from the 32 GB iPhone 4s and iPhone 5c to a 64 GB iPhone 6.  This was the second iteration of the 64-bit processor, so I felt a bit comfortable.  However, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are still not fully supported by third party apps.  There are some strange bugs, also.  iOS 8.2 is in beta testing.

Performance is great, and battery life is better, even though the display has increased in size.  It seems odd being past 480x320 pixel displays.  It also seems odd having switched once a year.